At the Supermarket Last night

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Interesting little story about my experiaence at the local Harris teeter Supermarket in Marietta GA.

I ran over to get some milk and Hot Cocoa mix. In the Cocoa aisle, I needed to reach around a VERY full shopping cart to reach the Swiss Miss. After I did, a woman pushes the cart aside with another cart.

I thought it a little rude, and looked at her. She said oh, it's ok, that's my cart also (she had two full carts).

She proceeded to take 6 boxes of the Swiss Miss cocoa mix.

I asked her if she was doing her monthly shopping, and she told me No, Y2K.

I must say, it felt good to know that I was not in that situation, and have 4+ months worth of preparations already.

I told her I already finished, and she started asking my advice on things to buy.

I gave her a few pointers.

The point of this is that I figure she must have just recently gotten it. This might be an indication of the beginnings of some additional preparation. If she were a long time GI, she probably wouldn't have said anything about Y2K. Probably would've done her shopping at Sam's also. Looked like she was preparing for a "3-WEEK storm".

BTW, I got some of that storable "shelf milk" last night. I've been waiting, because it has about a 4-5 month shelf life. Anyway, second visit in a row, there were only three cartons. Bought 'em all both times.

-- Duke 1983 (Duke1983@AOL.com), December 13, 1999

Answers

Duke, my local H-T in Durham showed signs of long-life milk and bottled water depletion just after Fran hit here a couple of months ago. Naturally, I put it down to relief supplies. However, the depletion has continued and I'm hard put to catch the delivery of long-life milk for my own stash. In addition, I'm noticing sales and coupon deals on canned goods now produce empty spaces--this has NEVER happened to me at H-T before, they've always been very good about anticipating demand. Incidentally, there's a glut of supermarkets in this area, plenty of competition to ensure the best service possible.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 13, 1999.

In my area (southern California) shopping seems to be the same as it's always been, with the focus on the upcoming holiday. I do observe other shoppers at the supermarket, and I don't see any sort of preperations. I was surprised though at Costco this week, when the woman at one of the food sample booths said......"this would be a good item for your millinnium pantry." As things go, I expect people will focus on Christmas right through the holiday weekend. On Monday, December 27th, the focus will be on New Years........thats when I expect to see people stocking up at the supermarket.

-- Linda (lindasue1@earthlink.net), December 13, 1999.

I am also in Southern California and people preparing are being spotted. It must be a patch work quilt effect. Riverside County and Pasadena definetly have some people preparing.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), December 13, 1999.

Linda, I am in So. Calif., also, and like you, I see no evidence of anyone buying anything extra, or out of the ordinary. Here in this immediate area, y2k is a joking, non-event. I don't mention it to any one as I long ago got tired of the snickers, laughing, and snide comments about my mentality. Oh well.

There is nothing missing from the shelves here.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), December 13, 1999.


This is interesting simply because I noticed some things at my local supermarket last night as well. I have been procrastinating in my preparations, I'll admit it. I have watched the store shelves through the last 2 months, and it always ebbed and flowed, except when Floyd was in danger of blowing through.

I went to get milk at Shop Rite in Southern NJ, and began to notice a few things while on my way back to the dairy section.

Some items were gone, completely. As I went down one isle, and another, my curiousity got the better of me and I walked the whole store. The shelves looked depleted, even more so than Thanksgiving. I have been watching, I admit, skeptically, for signs of shortage. There was not one package of napkins to be seen anywhere in the store. Not one. All of the shelves containing napkins were all empty. Most of the paper plates were gone, too. I wouldnt think this a big deal, except when I turned to look at the TP, the price of Angel Soft in the 12 pack that usually sells for $2.99, was priced $4.49. Nearly every brand of TP was up in price.

The milk I came for, was up to $2.89 from $2.59. Of course, I keep telling myself, that it was 8:00pm, and they needed to stock. It was Sunday, and a holiday is coming. There were numerous other notable items with prices way up, I think I scowled all the way through the store. The canned food section was severely ' indented'. Overall, I was taken aback, surprised more by myself being surprised, than anything else. I have procrastinated myself into oblivion. I keep telling myself, if this was notable to me, isnt it to anyone else? I keep asking myself, if the manager had known there was absoutely not one package of napkins on any shelf, wouldnt he have at least told someone to put something out till the night stock, or morning stock? Maybe this is the way the store looks at 8pm every night. Maybe people shopped early for Holiday dinners and parties. Maybe pigs fly.

I left the store with powdered milk, oatmeal that was on sale, 2 boxes of instant potatoes ( the ones the price didnt go up on) and my milk. I think peace of mind outweighs any reservations I might have, I just wish I had taken this seriously a year ago and acted accordingly. Time is short.

Danielle

-- Danielle (daniellejh@aol.com), December 13, 1999.



I would like to say that one of my longtime GI friends has spent thousands on preps. A massive diesel generator, numerous guns, cold weather clothing, water containers, water purifying equipment, deisel tanks, etc.etc.etc.

In the way of food he has only 2 buckets of red wheat and one bucket of lentil's,(Don't ask)and what he normally has in his pantry. I have ask him over and over again why he hasn't just went out one week and bought a thousand dollars worth of food. He certainly has the money. He said that he is waiting to do that last. I ask him when,after New Years? He always comes up with some lame brain excuse.

The point is that he will eventually go on a buying spree. I expect sometime in the next week or two. Now if this person who has spent two years preping is waiting to buy food at the last minute, can you imagine how many other people are probably waiting to do the same in the 11th hour? Especialy the ones who are just now becoming more concerned. I think personally we will see a last minute food run with out a doubt.

Sort of like the ones you see in Atlanta about three hours before the weatherman has predicted a 1/2" of snow.

-- ~***~ (~***~@earth.ebe), December 13, 1999.


I noticed that prices went up at the Cedar Rapids Super WalMart for certain canned goods. Alot of people were buying bottled water at Sam's next door. Looks like someone is buying alot of 50# bags of rice as the pallet was nearly empty.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), December 13, 1999.

A patch in the quiltwork? Some are prepping in Orange County, CA thanks to their kids!

Link

-- TA (sea_spur@yahoo.com), December 13, 1999.


You guys should try again later today. The shelves are almost always depleted on Sunday nights as most shoppers do their weekly buying on Sat/Sun. They usually restock on Mondays.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 13, 1999.


"I have ask him over and over again why he hasn't just went out one week and bought a thousand dollars worth of food. "

The truly cynical reponse would be: "...All I really need is ammo."

-- I've even heard (people@say.that), December 13, 1999.



doing preps at Harris Teeter? PLEASE! i'm happy she finally got it, but, i hope one of your tips was sams club or costco. btw duke, i think we are neighbors. was this the HT by merch. walk?

Z

(i see clark never answered you, BIG suprise)

-- theletterz (theletterz@yahoo.com), December 13, 1999.


WalMart has 55 gal blue water barrels now, stocked right beside the boxes of Christmas wrapping paper. Found these in the "garden section."

Sales clerk said she's sold "a bunch" of them.....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 13, 1999.


Sheesh, I woulda been THRILLED to see someone like that in my local Brookshire's (all I will say is the North Texas area). I would probably scare her I'd be so happy to see another prepper IN PERSON besides my husband!!!!

KUDOS to Brookshire's, BTW, for they GET IT!!!!!!! For weeks and weeks now, they have had a special page in their weekly circular called "STOCK YOUR PANTRY UP" (As an English teacher I overlooked the fact that they ended the sentence in a preposition!) Then about 4 wks ago, on the same page , they have printed in big bold letters:

"CODATED ITEMS CAN BE STORED FOR UP TO 2 YEARS. DATED ITEMS CAN BE STORED 3-6 MONTHS PAST DATE INDICATED" or something like that on the second sentence (WHERE is that thing?.....)

Anyway, then I went there yesterday, and I nearly FELL OVER. HUGE sign right as you walk in that says

"Y2K AWARENESS" and behind it, a WALL of bottled water. Couldn't be more in your face. Then I see all the shoppers going right around the thing to reach the bags of chocolate chips, coconut, Crisco, and canned pumpkin.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 13, 1999.


Thanks, everyone for responding to this post..

Theletterz...Close, I was at the HT near highland plaza.

BTW, speaking of Y2K awareness signs, has anyone seen the signs in the Sears stores?

The say that Sears is responding to demands for more Y2K prep merchandise, and concede that people may not need to use it. As such, they are charging a "restocking" fee, if you return it in original condition, and unused.

I think the fee was 25% or so.

-- Duke 1983 (Duke1983@AOL.com), December 13, 1999.


I'm gonna keep warm and eat!......If any of you want to rely on the Government for a hand out that's you perogative! Maybe you will be in line with hundreds of thousands of other working class stiffs. If Y2K amounts to nothing more than a bump....so be it....at least I can and will eat and burn what I've purchased....I look at it this way....I've pre-paid some expenses!

-- not sure! (zztop@epix.net), December 13, 1999.


I like that idea!

Sears gets to sell lots of stuff....the consumer gets to buy lots of stuff...and if the consumer really, actually doesn't use it - though who could resist "playing with the latest toy"? - then Sears earns 25% interest on th eitems "rented" for a while....

Capitalism in action = success for both sides, the consumer gets what's needed.

Government in action = spin and denial. The consumer gets hurt.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 13, 1999.


For those that spoke of getting the cartons of whole milk with a 6 mos. shelf-life, you might want to consider talking with the person who does the ordering for the store. The local market here only stocks about 10 cartons at any one time and I didn't want to wipe out the stock. When I asked if I could place a special order the woman said, "Sure! How many would you like?". I thought that was great.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), December 13, 1999.


Concerning the fellow whose friend has lots of preps, and little food: we in the know have a term for this kind of person. Looter-to- be.

I used to know plenty of guys who would fit into this category. They spend many thousands of $ on guns, ammo, and gear, and little or none on food. These guys will be hungry rather quickly, and being armed makes them more dangerous.

Solution: convince him to buy food immediately, or save a bullet for him when he comes 'a knocking.

-- Bill (billclo@msgbox.com), December 14, 1999.


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